Heaven Sent
by PurpleSkye
Summary: For a couple to be so perfect for each other why couldn't they ever be together? Fate brings them together but their destinies are too different. Aiko has a mission to fulfill and so does Sasuke.
1. Where It All Began

**PurpleSkye: To those who already read this, please read this again. My e-mail buddy, ade5kira, helped me edit some parts of it so it'll be much more presentable. Thank you, ade5kira!**

The Ninja Academy was closed and not to mention empty of its usual occupants just because of the upcoming storm on its way to Konoha (Hidden Leaf Village). The chunin instructors were given a well-deserved break from teaching and the soon-to-be-genins were stuck at their homes with absolutely nothing to do. And alas, Uchiha Sasuke was one of them. A little rain wouldn't keep him from getting out there and training; nothing ever would. Anyway, it wasn't raining yet, though the wind outside was harsh and mind-blowing.

It was finally decided; Sasuke would train himself no matter what, and no one or nothing would stop him from doing so. As he was about to open the door out of his apartment, he suddenly remembered his kunais and shurikens and that he was supposed to bring them along with him. Seriously, how could he forget? He sighed as he retreated back into his bedroom where he often kept his weapons.

Opening his bedside drawer, Sasuke gathered all his weapons into a leather pouch. As he got his last kunai out, an old photograph slipped to the floor. He picked it up and stared at it intently. For a minute, he did not recognize who the young girl in the picture was with his five-year-old self. But he swore he had known who owned that long black hair and those captivating red eyes. Was it -?

"Aiko..?" he whispered realizing he was looking at the pretty face of his childhood friend.

FLASHBACK

_It was about lunchtime and Uchiha Mikoto had asked her youngest son, Sasuke, to look for his older brother – Itachi. Sasuke gladly complied to his mother's wishes and went off immediately to search. He went into the forest where he knew that his brother always trained in. He started to yell his brother's name when..._

_"WATCH OUT!" a girl yelled as she tackled Sasuke, an incoming kunai whizzing past their noses, narrowly missing them.  
_

_She got off of him once she was sure the danger had passed, and quickly asked in a worried voice: "Are you all right?"  
_

_Sasuke simply nodded, frozen in shock._

_"I'm so sorry!" the girl exclaimed, pushing a stray strand of her long black hair out of her ruby-red eyes. "I thought you were my brother!" she explained, somewhat embarrassed by her actions._

_"It's okay." Sasuke mumbled, gathering the courage to speak. "Wha –" he tried to ask her name before something interrupted him._

_"AIKO!" someone yelled, making the girl turn around._

_'So her name is Aiko...' Sasuke thought, still staring at the girl._

_"I'm coming, Onii-san!" she shouted in reply, standing up and leaving immediately._

_Sasuke never saw her again after that incident. Not until a few days later when his mother's younger sister – Aya – came for a visit did he see the cute girl again. He hid behind the doorway, simply watching the grown-ups' conversation from afar._

_"Is this Aiko? My goodness! You grew up so fast!" Mikoto screamed in excitement, embracing the young girl. "Do you still remember who I am?"_

_The little girl nodded her little head and smiled brightly at Mikoto._

_"Where were the two of you, Aya?" Mikoto asked, carrying the three-year-old onto her lap. "You've been gone for so long."_

_"Well, here and there. Anywhere to keep Aiko safe." Aya answered, concern filled her dark black orbs. "I had to keep her away from Takeshi too." She added in a silent whisper._

_"Why would you do such a thing?" Mikoto retorted, appalled by this piece of information._

_"He kept training her to become a fighter! I couldn't let him teach Aiko how to hurt other people." Aya explained._

_"You can't keep them apart, Aya. They're the only ones left. Takeshi's the only one she's got besides you." Mikoto lectured her younger sister in a matter-of-fact tone. "And besides, she's an Ichiro and they're naturally born fighters." She continued._

_"Don't you think I know that, Onee-san?" Aya told her older sibling in her own defense. "That's the reason I came back to Konoha." She continued, bowing her head in defeat; she knew her sister was right all along._

_Then suddenly, Aiko got down from Mikoto's lap and walked towards the door leading to the hallway. The two women watched with such curiosity as she waddled her way to the later destination. All they heard was her chuckling cutely, having found something to her amusement._

_"Hello! My name is Ichiro Aiko!" she told the little boy just about her age, who had been hiding behind the door, as she noticed, all this time. "What's yours?" she then asked him curious._

END FLASHBACK

So, that's _where it all began_ – they're friendship anyway. It had been seven years since he last saw her, though. And even though he would most likely deny it, he had almost forgot about her. The innocent look on her face; the cute sound of her laughter – it was all coming back to him after so long a time. How he missed those days when he'd see her smiling brightly at him; she seemed to become a distant memory to him.

"When will I ever get to see her again..?" Sasuke whispered as he continued to stare at their childhood photos, having found most of it inside his drawer.

Then, Sasuke heard the soft pitter-patter of rain hitting his clear bedroom window. He hadn't noticed the time that had passed; he had been standing there and staring at those pictures for more than an hour already. He just couldn't help but be captivated by Aiko's crimson eyes. And unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to pursue training.

Sasuke sighed but when he went to return the old photographs, something really shiny caught the attention of his deep black eyes. He reached out his hand pulled the silver-chained necklace from the inside of his bedside drawer. He surveyed it carefully, searching for its significance. Suddenly, the idea hit him (not literally, of course). It was similar to the one he gave Aiko on her 5th birthday.

FLASHBACK

_It was a bright and sunny Friday morning when the now five-year-old Sasuke made his way to his aunt's house. Today, on the 23rd day of July, was not only Uchiha Sasuke's birthday but also the youngest living Ichiro's too._

_"I hope Aiko likes my present!" the little boy chorused as he knocked on Aya's front door._

_"Oh hello, Sasuke!" his aunt greeted as she saw him standing at her doorstep. "Happy birthday, by the way." She added, giving him an embrace and a small kiss on his forehead._

_"Arigato." He replied politely. "Can I see, Aiko?" he added smiling._

_"Well, of course." Aya answered, somewhat sad._

_"Hmm...Is there anything wrong?" Sasuke asked her innocently as he went in the house._

_"Aiko's pretty upset today, Sasuke." She explained, worry present in the way she told him._

_"Why is that?" he retorted, curious and also anxious._

_"Takeshi went off on a mission with your brother last night and they won't come back until next week." Aya elaborated further. "You know as well as I do that she wanted him to stay for her birthday, right Sasuke? But he couldn't turn down such an important mission." Aya concluded, sighing soon after._

_"I'll make her happy again, Aya-san!" Sasuke stated, full of energy._

_Aya simply smiled at him, encouraging him to do what he said he would. So, Sasuke went up to Aiko's room and knocked on her door. She answered the door for him, a smile still showing on her tear-stained face as she tried her hardest not to cry anymore._

_"Happy birthday, Aiko!" Sasuke told her, trying his best to cheer her up._

_At this, Aiko buried her face into her hands as she fell to her knees and cried. This shocked Sasuke but he comforted her nonetheless. She wrapped her arms around him and cried unto his shoulders._

_"He – promised – me – he – wouldn't – leave!" she sobbed, hugging him tighter._

_"It's not his fault, Aiko. It was an important mission." He explained. "You know he would've stayed with you if he had a choice." He continued._

_She ceased her weeping, stunned by Sasuke's words. He was indeed correct. Takeshi would never do that on purpose. She wiped away her tears and smiled._

_"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She told him gratefully._

_She did not let him go, at least not yet. When she finally released him after a few moments, she was back to her normally cheerful self._

_"I almost forgot, Sasuke-kun." She stated as they both stood up from the floor. "Happy birthday!" she continued, smiling widely for the first time that day._

_"Arigato, Aiko." He replied, smiling back at her. "I –" he started to say, his hand in his pocket; clutching the gift he had bought for her._

_"Wait!" she interrupted, grabbing his hand and pulling him into her room. "I wanted to give you something!" she added, sitting him on the bed._

_"Aiko, I –" Sasuke tried to say as the five-year-old girl was looking for something._

_"Wait a second! I know it's here somewhere." She interrupted once again. "YES! Here it is!" she yelled with complete joy as she held a book in her hands._

_It was a scrapbook, as far as Sasuke could tell and it was for him. He looked at it and then to Aiko quizzically._

_"Aya-Okaa-san thought of it." Aiko explained. "She even helped me with it." She added in an embarrassed whisper._

_"Thanks, Aiko." He said in response, grinning as he turned each page of the scrapbook. "I have something for you too!" he suddenly said, shutting the book closed._

_"You didn't have –" she started to protest but Sasuke simply pushed the nicely wrapped present into her hands._

_Her curiosity got the better of her and she began unwrapping the gift neatly. Inside it was a cute black box. She opened it and saw a beautiful necklace with its charm being a heart that was cut in half. She was amazed by its elegance yet austere look; it was simply exquisite._

_"And look, Aiko! I have one too!" he said proudly showing his necklace that was similar to hers. "If you put them together it would form a heart, see?" he added, demonstrating it to her._

END FLASHBACK

What he said was no less than true. Putting his necklace together with Aiko's really did make the heart whole and besides that, one would be able to understand the words engraved on them – "Together Forever". Without the other they wouldn't be together, right?

He smiled slightly as he continued staring at it and then wrapped its slender chain on his neck. Something told him that their reunion would happen soon enough. At that instance of time, he didn't know how right he actually was.

Meanwhile, you were running for your life. To tell everyone the truth, you've been at it for hours and still they didn't give up on you. And by _'they'_, you mean the people who worked for the one who had kidnapped you seven years ago.

"DON'T YOU GUYS EVER GIVE UP?" you shouted at them, feeling yourself gradually loosing strength.

There was no reply. You sighed as you took their silence as a 'no' and kept running away. Originally, there were twenty of these ninjas but they were now down to two. Considering how fragile and thin you looked, no one would've guessed you would be able to fight off that many. But because of all the harsh trainings you've gone through, you had become too powerful for them to handle.

You were getting really exhausted, sad to say. But you couldn't surrender yourself now; you didn't go through all this trouble escaping just so you could get captured again. You, Ichiro Aiko, would never do such a monstrous deed; you were not a quitter and you would never be.

You strained your crimson eyes, trying your hardest to keep them open. You then stopped at a clearing not far from Konoha, catching your racing breath. The pouring rain drenched your long black hair and not to mention your bloodstained clothes; your whole, entire body was soaking wet.

"If I were you, I'd remit yourself to us." One of your pursuers told you threateningly.

"Unfortunately, I'm neither one of you." You retorted, facing them both in your fighting stance. "I will never return with you!" you added stubbornly.

And thus, the fight began...


	2. The Return of the Ichiros

**A/N: Actually, this chapter has been written for a long time now... But I thought I already posted it so that's why it's only now that I got it up...**

(Sasuke's POV)

The day passed without so much as a single form of productivity. And just when you thought that nothing worse would come, the rain poured more heavily as the sun set from the far horizon and as night arose; it would be quite impossible for the academy to resume if this kind of weather kept up. The thunder roared and the lightning flashed noisily about the night sky as howling winds strolled to and fro through the darkness of the hallowed evening.

You had quite some trouble sleeping what with the fracas going on outside; plus, with the cold weather Konoha was having, it was quite futile to try to sleep. You nonchalantly stared up at the ceiling, finding it pointless to rid yourself of your restlessness. Unintentionally, your thoughts drifted toward your very dear friend – the young girl named Aiko. You wondered where she could be. Was she out in the storm with nowhere to go? Or was she safe inside the warm walls of a home?

_"SASUKE-KUN!!! SAVE ME!!!"_

Her frightened cries echoed inside your head repeatedly. Those were her last words before she was taken away and before you gave in to the darkness, as far as you could remember. You recalled how you reacted when you had woken up the next day, lying safely upon your bed. You had hopefully thought that you were only dreaming when you saw Aiko being kidnapped but both Itachi's and Takeshi's faces showed otherwise.

_"I AM GOING TO FIND AIKO! AND SAVE HER NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES - THAT'S A PROMISE!"_

You had blurted out those words out of anger. You had blamed yourself for you had let the kidnappers get away with Aiko. You were weak and you hated yourself for that though the fact that you were a mere five-year-old would've been a valid reason for your inability to rescue your friend.

_You blinked your weary eyes once...twice and you thought you saw a figure of red and black...thrice then you heard her sweet, silent whispers as she called your name...and again you blinked and then your onyx eyes met crimson ones. She was waving her hand, greeting you her innocent hello. She stood in front of a flourishing Sakura tree. Clearly, you were in your room no more._

_Her blood red eyes dug deep within your soul, penetrating through all your defenses. A light breeze blew in, making her long black hair thrash behind her. The white kimono with beautiful red, dragon designs she wore brought out the colors of her eyes and her white complexion. Her warm smile melted the cold-hearted Uchiha like wildfire._

_"Aiko..?" you muttered almost inaudible, full of uncertainty._

_This couldn't be the girl from years ago. You haven't seen her since you were both five so how in the world would you ever believe that this was Ichiro Aiko? You wouldn't be sure of her appearance now that she was twelve-years-old either. There's no way this was her._

_"Hello, Sasuke-kun!" she replied in a voice much like your childhood friend only in a more mature and lady-like manner. "How are you?"_

_It was her and there was no doubt about it. She was here right in front of you, ready to be rescued. You slowly walked toward her, taking small strides, somewhat hesitant. She just stood there, grinning as you inched to her. She seemed so...real. You could tell that she was shorter than you, which was only natural since you were a boy after all. You lifted your right hand up beyond her shoulders; your hand was shaking slightly as it got closer to her face. Inch by inch you tried to touch her, to see if she was just some kind of genjutsu but..._

_"Where have you been all these years?" you asked quietly as your hand stopped when you felt her smooth cheeks; she not only looked real, she felt as if she was really there._

_She answered you but all that came out of her lips were: "RING! RING! RING!"_

Your deep black eyes instantly shot open as the alarm resounded in your ears. It was just a dream; she was just a figment of your wild imagination. You sat up and sighed. You should've known better than to believe that she was real; for all you knew, she could be dead by now.

You got off of your bed and looked out your window. The sun shone brightly up in the cloudy blue sky. The rain had passed awfully quickly in your opinion but you were not one to complain. A whole day of supposed training was wasted just sitting around your apartment doing nothing to improve your skill. Through your entire discontentment, you had done all your daily routines (bathe, brushing your teeth, eating breakfast, etc.) and you were now prepared to go to the academy.

You left your apartment at half past six, somewhat excited about today's events. At last, this was your day of reckoning; today, you were one step closer to your ambition to avenge the Uchiha Clan. In other words, it was the day you take the graduation exam, pass it, and then officially become genin.

The walk toward the Ninja Academy was quite peaceful since not many villagers were up this early in the morning. When you arrived at the later destination, it was barely inhabited, considering how punctual you were. The main reason as to why you did this was to avoid those annoyingly persistent fan girls from trying to seduce you or from arguing about you with other girls right in front of your face with the hope of delaying those said encounters even for just a few minutes.

You took your normal seat in the second row, enlacing your hands together before your face. You stared at nothing in particular and no one dared bother your intense thoughts because there was no other person but you at the moment.

You weren't nervous at all about the Graduation Exam today since you knew you could do anything that they ask you to; after all you were the number one academy student by far. Besides, you were part of the Uchiha Clan – the clan of geniuses. You were ready for anything they throw at you (not literally speaking, of course).

You untangled your hands for one of them touched the shiny silver charm of your necklace. You had worn it for good luck though you might not even need it at all. It's just that it inspired you to do your best since you had vowed to one day find and save Aiko and now that you were strong, you wouldn't lose her to some hired thug anymore.

Suddenly, you heard noises. They were voices. Oh no, it looked like you were doomed for your fan girls have arrived!

(Back to Aiko's (Your) POV)

Your deeply battered body failed you as you attempted to stand back up and pursue your losing battle versus this skilled ninja. You had already beaten the other man some time last night during the strong rain. There was still one more though you doubt that you'd fend him off.

"Give it up, Iris." The muscled man announced, coming toward you.

You heard the approaching sound of his footsteps as you tried harder to get back on your feet. He grabbed the collar of your ripped blue shirt and pulled you up in the air with much ease. With both of your tired hands you grasped his obviously stouter wrists, trying to make him put you down.

"We can end this now if you want..?" he asked tauntingly.

"NO WAY! I'M NOT GOING BACK WITH YOU!" You yelled a sudden burst of energy erupted from deep inside you.

Your nails penetrated his skin, impairing him enough to let you go. You stood up unsteadily in your fighting stance, determined to bring him down; there was no way you were going to surrender now, you've gone too far to turn back.

"YOU BTCH!" he screamed, irritated by your obstinacy.

All of a sudden, he appeared behind you, his slightly long blonde hair tickling the side of your face. He aimed a quick punch at you but you crouched down just in time to evade it. Your hands touched the ground and you used them to balance yourself as you turned and kicked him where IT hurts. He stumbled back and you smirked. You still had a pretty good chance to win.

"YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT, FILTHY BTCH!" he cursed as he quickly charged back at you, enraged.

The next thing you knew, you were eating even more dirt. You forced yourself back up once more and ran at him at the fastest pace you could, only to be thrown back onto a trees trunk by another powerful strike.

You groaned in pain. You had spoken too soon; this wasn't going to be as simple as you thought it'd be. There you were, lying on the ground, coughing out thick red blood, extremely weak and tired. You just wished _he_ would arrive and save you. Your eyes glazed over from the tears that were forming in your crimson orbs.

You had promised _him_ that you'd return some day; no matter how long or hard it took to accomplish that task. You had thought that the fulfillment of this promise was within reach but all your hope was lost when you were once again thrown against the tree painfully and back to the muddy ground.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke-kun. I guess we won't be seeing each other again after all..." you whispered, salty tears escaping your eyes, leaving trails upon your smooth cheeks.

Your eyelids were dropping and were much too heavy for you to control. You did your best but it just wasn't good enough. Why must you go back to the hell-of-a-life you lived through for seven years? You just wished that someone would arrive and save you from your inevitable fate...wasn't there someone? Anyone?

(Takeshi's POV)

It had already been six years since you last saw your beloved sister, plus the one-year when you had almost given up hope of ever locating her. You had gone back to the village you grew up in, only to find that your best friend – Uchiha Itachi – slaughtered his entire clan with the exception of his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, who was Aiko's dearest (if not only) friend.

Sasuke was a complete wreck. He was no longer the cheery boy both you and Aiko have known; he became cold, distant and hungry for power much like his older brother – the guy he swore he would kill. You couldn't blame him though for his sudden change; he had witnessed the bloodshed of his family, who wouldn't be traumatized? He lost everything that night; his family, his whole clan by the bloody hands of his own flesh and blood, his treacherous brother. You had tried by all means possible to revert him back to his old self but he just wouldn't listen; your closeness to Itachi didn't help much either. So, you had done the only thing you thought that would make him happy; you had offered to be his sensei and knowing that you were an exceptionally skilled ANBU, he eagerly accepted. Thus, this bright young boy became your first student. He would never give up on a technique until he successfully master it and you admired his solidarity.

Maybe that was the reason you had found him to be the most appropriate suitor for your one and only sister – Aiko. You smiled sincerely at the thought. You would hardly admit that you were protective of Aiko; you would never allow her to fall into unworthy hands. Her special gift might have set her aside from others but she was still human and she was your sister; it's only right for you to watch over her since you were her big brother. No other girl could compare to the importance of Aiko in your life, not even your girl friend and you'd do anything to save her from her inevitable fate.

Your long bangs whipped passed your masked face as you jumped from tree to tree on your way back to Konoha. The deep blue eyes behind your fox-like mask scanned the area as the only things you heard was the rustling of your black cloak and the sound of your sandals hitting the thick branches; the eerie silence raised your suspicions. You stopped abruptly upon sensing the sudden clash of chakras nearby. The funny thing was, the feebly weak presence was quite familiar to you.

'Could it be..?' you had mentally asked yourself.

You quickly ran to the direction of the on-going battle and found yourself in a huge clearing. No one had noticed your arrival so you surveyed the fighters carefully. One was a cloaked guy such as yourself but he had a more muscular built body purely because of your age difference; the second one was a twelve-year-old who was lying on the ground hardly even breathing.

The cloaked figure walked closer to the helpless girl, chortling loudly like a maniac, most probably amused by the proceedings. You couldn't just stand there and do nothing as he hurt a defenseless girl. So, with your unnoticed presence to your advantage, you attacked her assailant. Shock filled his brown eyes as you easily killed him.

The man fell backward towards the ground, lifeless. Death was what he deserved, you thought. He fought an innocent and powerless girl though you were not sure if she was really your sister or not. You knelt beside the bruised young girl and gave her a look of pure concern. She had scratches everywhere on her body and a deep gash on her left thigh, which was bleeding heavily. You removed your ANBU mask and stared at her intently. Was this really who Aiko grew into?

"Aiko...is that you..?" you asked her, starting to lift her up from the ground gently to avoid further pain.

She moaned slightly at your touch and answered in a very soft whisper, "Hai..." Her answer caused you to grin despite the ill situation; you had found Aiko. You were glad that she was alive and well in the most part. You were lucky enough to locate her before _she_ did or else Aiko would've faced seriously perilous circumstances.

You sighed in obvious relief as you quickly ran back to Konoha. Your number one priority was to take Aiko to the hospital. She was loosing a lot of blood from her deep cut and to add to your anxiety, she was developing a fever. Speaking of which, you noted to yourself to tell her off for staying out in the rain; her clothes were damp and wet, no wonder she was sick.

When Konoha gates came into clear view, your heart started racing. You had been running so fast that you had almost bumped into the guards that watched the entrance.

"Who are you? State your business." The man in front of you asked.

"Ichiro Takeshi. Konoha ANBU." You replied as serious as he was. "I'm in a hurry though, as you can see."

"Oh, it's just you, Takeshi." The other less-strict guard had told you. "Long time no see..."

"Same to you..." you retorted, running swiftly towards your chosen destination.

The Konoha Hospital, which was a fair distance from the gate you entered, was - within a few minutes - in sight. You hastily crossed the threshold and requested the help of any available medical-nin. A familiar face heeded your pleas. She was a woman in her early twenties with long black hair and be-spectacled hazel eyes.

"Takeshi? What happened?" the young woman asked you, worried.

"I don't have time to explain, Kaori-san. But Aiko needs your help!" you explained hurriedly.

She willingly complied and took Aiko away from you, leading her to the emergency room on a wheeled stretcher. You felt all the more relieved once you saw Kaori, with all her other nurses, take Aiko through the double doors of the room; you knew she would be safe now that she was back in Konoha.

'I will not let anyone else take you away from me again, Aiko – I'll make sure of that.' You thought as you patiently sat at the waiting area while staring hopefully at the doors of the room wherein Aiko was being treated. Just then, another masked ANBU tapped you on your shoulder, getting your attention instantly.

"The Third Hokage wishes to see you, Takeshi." The cloaked man told you, somewhat urgently.

"I'll go see him later, Jiro." You uttered nonchalantly. "I cannot leave until I'm sure of my sister's safety." You added, knowing he'd protest.

"If that's what you want. I have no right to tell you what to do." He responded. " Just make sure you report to him A.S.A.P. (as soon as possible). That order came directly from the Hokage himself." He continued as he left, looking back at you as you nodded in agreement.

You heard him sigh and you smiled at him slightly. It felt good to be back in Konoha; you felt secure here than in other villages. You were even happier when you had found Aiko, at last. After at least an hour, Kaori exited the emergency room with a warm smile on her face.

"How is she, Kaori-san?" you asked anxiously.

" Don't worry, Takeshi. She's fine. Though she may be knocked out for another day or so. And she will need plenty of rest so her wounds will heal quickly." Kaori said happily. "You may go in to see her if you wish to." She added.

You returned her smile and stood from your seat. You went in the room and saw Aiko sleeping peacefully, all her wounds were now bandaged and have stopped bleeding. Now that she was safe, you could freely present yourself to the Hokage but you felt unsure. You weren't so keen in leaving Aiko here without protection. You barely trust anyone with her; they could just be her kidnappers in disguise or worse _her_. You just couldn't go with the knowledge that _she_ might just be around the corner, watching Aiko or that she was still being followed by those no-good ninjas. No, she would never be safe at all. The safest she'd be was with you with her or with her wounds healed.

Hours have passed as you just stare at her, keeping your guard on as your mind wandered through your past. You were well prepared for any type of attack and it was as if someone would magically appear out of thin air and take Aiko away. Then, an arm grasped your shoulder and squeezed it lightly. It caught you by surprise so with a swift shift of position; you threw the hand off of you and immediately stepped into your fighting stance.

"Take it easy, Takeshi." An old man's voice told you, slightly smiling at your antics. "It's only me."

"Hokage-sama..." you whispered in acknowledgement. "Gomennasai..." you added, showing your respect by bowing slightly.

"It's all right, Takeshi. I understand your concerns. But don't you trust the security of this village?" the Third Hokage replied, standing beside you but facing your sister.

"Not at all. It's just that they have successfully kidnapped her once and I cannot let that happen again." You simply retorted, turning around to watch Aiko once more.

"I see. By the way, have you informed _him_ yet?" he asked.

"_He_ knows nothing yet. I haven't got the chance to tell him. But I heard he passed the genin test?" you stated grinning.

"They just took the test this morning. In fact, _he_ was declared the number one rookie genin." The Hokage said in response, quite joyfully.

"That's good to hear. He's just like **him**, isn't _he_?" you stated, showing your happiness with an even bigger smile.

"MASTER HOKAGE, NARUTO TOOK THE SCROLL OF THE FORBIDDEN SEALS!!!" another ninja who barged into the room yelled noisily.

You were taken aback by the outburst and spoke nothing. You regained your composure and smiled when you finally realized that they were talking about the Kyuubi-boy. You found it funny that a boy with such power would commit that sort of crime; you knew him to be the prankster of the village so someone must've tricked him into doing it. He wouldn't be able to think of that as a joke if he knew it was forbidden; he was much too foolish to realize that. In any case, you didn't desire to be included in such activities; you were much too busy and besides the Hokage could handle this kind of situation.

Hours more passed as you remained in silence, simply standing beside the hospital bed where your sister slumbered. All the while she was in a seemingly blissful sleep until...

"STAY AWAY FROM _HIM_! LEAVE _US_ ALONE!" she suddenly started to yell, clenching her fingers and shaking her head furiously. "NO! PLEASE DON'T HURT _HIM_! STOP! SASUKE-KUN!"

"Aiko..." you whispered grabbing a hold of her hand while trying to calm her down.

(Back to Aiko's (Your) POV)

You breathed heavily and your face contorted with both pain and rage. _She_ was going to take _him_ away from you and then _she_ would hurt _him_.

"Wake up, Aiko. You're just dreaming..." someone told you as he took your hand in his and began rubbing it with the sincere purpose of calming you down.

His voice was familiar to you somehow. That calm yet sweet sound of his voice, which held pure seriousness and authenticity was owned by your older brother; there was no doubt about it.

"Ta...ke...shi..." you mumbled dryly.

You forced open your eyelids and indeed saw Takeshi's smiling face hovering over yours. You had double vision for a moment and it was quite blurred too. You blinked a couple of times until you were able to focus your sight and by then you were too tired to speak.

"Would you like anything, Aiko? A glass of water, maybe? Or something to eat?" your oh so caring brother inquired, brushing your hair softly; concern flashed in his eyes when he felt your slightly heated temperature.

You gave him a quaint nod and gave him a small smile. After he left, you looked around you, absorbing the contents of your current location in your mind. It was a brightly lit white room; the walls, your bed covers, and everything around you were either white or some kind of light blue. As far as you knew, you could already be back in Konoha. At that thought, you felt the burden of having to be on-guard subside even just a little. You sat up with much difficulty and started to think. Was it really necessary to return? You mean, your presence would endanger the life of the people in the village, wouldn't it? Then again, being manipulated in the wrong hands would be even worse, right? You sighed at your own confusion and then a mysterious inside force began to take over your body. You tried to fight for control but the force was much too powerful for you to overcome. You felt trapped within your own mind and were unaware of what was happening around you. Your whole body went numb and you completely lost supremacy.

(Naruto's POV)

It had been a long day for you. You failed to pass the genin test again and were fooled into stealing the Scroll of the Forbidden Seals. Mizuki (chunin instructor) had told you that it contained the technique you could learn to pass but he hadn't informed you that it was prohibited to students like you. Things went downhill from that point on though you found it amusing when you had beaten the Hokage with your "Sexy no Jutsu".

Mizuki had tried to steal the scroll that you took but who else but Iruka came to save you. For once in your life, you felt acknowledged. Now you knew that not everyone hated you and you now realized why most of the people in the village hated you in the first place. It was all because of the Kyuubi living inside you. From what you've heard Mizuki tell you, the Kyuubi was a nine-tailed demon that attacked Konoha approximately twelve years ago, which was sealed into your body by the Yondaime (Fourth Hokage). Then you beat the crap out of Mizuki because he was hurting the only person who ever cared for you with your newly acquired technique – the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique). The best part of that night was the fact that Iruka had passed you to officially become genin! Things couldn't possibly get any worse, right?

Once Iruka gave you his hitai-ate (forehead protector), you were reminded of the many injuries you and Iruka sustained. Both of you opted to take yourselves to the hospital to get treated. Since Iruka's wound took long to get healed, you decided to wander around for a while.

After a few minutes of walking, you found yourself in a dimly lit corridor. Everything was silent mainly because of the lateness of the time; it was probably like twelve midnight. Then, out of nowhere, you saw a blinding light from the room two doors before you. Your curiosity steered you to the direction of the source and you gently peeked through its threshold. The extremely bright radiance was impairing your vision but still you strained to see whatever it was that caused this luminosity. Amidst the brilliance of the glow, you saw a girl around your age standing quite stiffly; you were perplexed when you saw the silhouette of a fierce-looking dragon standing behind her, its snake-like tail wrapped loosely around her feet. Her somewhat hypnotized red eyes were staring right at your blue ones and you simply could not look away. With your eyes locked in an intense gaze, she started to speak words, which were beyond your comprehension.

_Three more rounds and my time's gone_

_To correct the mistake that had been done_

_Three more rounds and my life is through_

_So I must complete what I sought to do_

_To take the life that once plagued mine_

_Is the sole mission of this angel, divine_

_But if this task is not done_

_Till three more rounds around the sun_

_Then shall it be, I die in vain_

_Unless the thorn in my life is slain_

Her words left you befuddled. What did she mean by _'three more rounds'_? Or _'my time's all gone'_? What did her speech mean? As you tried your best to be rid of your confusion, the bright light faded and the girl fell to the floor. You came closer to check if the girl was all right, only to find out that she was unconscious.

"Forget about what you heard tonight, Uzumaki..." a man in his late teens told you from the open door.

"What? But why?" you retorted, wanting an explanation.

"What Aiko said earlier must not reach her delicate ears. It's for the best to simply get it out of your memory." He explained as he carried the girl into his arms.

"What did she mean anyway?" you asked, hoping dearly for an answer.

"It's nothing of your concern, Uzumaki. It is something within the borders of secrecy of the Ichiro clan." He told you, smiling warmly as he laid the girl into her bed.

You shrugged at his response and chose to leave it at that. You wouldn't even dream of becoming a part of that secret anyway; that dragon you saw looked very scary and besides you wouldn't want to be nosy; this guy seemed serious. Still, as you returned to your apartment, you couldn't help but ponder over her words...

_To take the life that once plagued mine is the sole mission of this angel divine..._

...What did it mean?


	3. So It's You

**A/N: I hope this chapter's okay... I didn't have anyone beta it for me... If anyone's available, i could use some help...**

(Back to Aiko's POV)

In the state you were in when you came, you doubt if they would agree to let you out of the hospital. You hated having to stay in bed and do nothing. Takeshi's absence had not helped to improve the situation. He had told you that he wouldn't be long; of course, you had trusted him. But time seemed to fly by ever so slowly for you. You feel as if he'd been gone for hours already when in fact it was barely 10 (ten) minutes since he left to speak with the Hokage.

You stare blankly out the window, a slight frown crossing your features. You've been away for from Konoha for too long – 7 (seven) years to be more precise – and it would be a waste to spend your time here in the stuffy hospital room.

'I wonder how Sasuke-kun's doing?' you thought as you fingered the necklace he'd given you.

You turned to check the time from the wall clock above the door. _10:45_. That was the time at the moment. Takeshi said he'd be back by lunchtime. Lunch was served exactly at noon.

'An hour, fifteen minutes, and ten seconds left...' you started a countdown, having nothing better to do.

You lay back down onto your pillow and closed your eyes as you hummed a little tune. For a while, you entertained yourself with fantasies and memories from the past, which only made you all the more eager to leave the place. You opened your eyes then again checked the time. The clock read _11:45_.

'Fifteen more minutes...' you convinced yourself that it was only going to be a matter of time before Takeshi came back. Once that happens, you would s ask /s beg him to take you out of the hospital.

You sat up and threw the covers off your body. Your left leg was heavily bandaged but you knew you were recovering quickly. Of course, it was still sore but it was nothing painkillers wouldn't fix and besides the medical-nins did a good job on you. You tried to lift it off the mattress; there was barely anymore pain.

_11:50_. Still, you could not feel the presence of your brother close by. At_11:51_, the door opened and a young nurse sauntered in with a tray of food. She smiled kindly at you as she put down the rectangular tray onto the nightstand beside your bed.

"Do you need any help, Ichiro-san?" she asked you politely.

"No, thank you." You declined as you placed you feet off the side of the bed and reached for the plate.

"If you're sure..." the nurse replied calmly; she could see that you were capable enough so she went to the door. "Uhm...Ichiro-san?" she suddenly turned back to you.

"What is it?" you muttered quizzically as you were about to take a bite.

"Your brother...he said he would be late for lunch." She stated.

"When did he tell you that?" you asked, curious.

"Just before he left this morning..." the nurse said honestly.

"Oh..." was all you could say.

"But...he also said he'd make up for it." The nurse continued, bringing the smile back onto your face.

"Thanks for relaying the message!" you exclaimed with newfound joy and immediately after the words escaped your lips, you started on your lunch.

"Your welcome, Ichiro-san." She replied, smiling as well.

Then, she left the room. You were alone...again.

_1:57_. It had been hours since lunch and Takeshi hadn't returned yet. You sighed. He better make it up to you. It was really getting boring.

You looked around, noticing how dark the room was despite the bright sun outside. So, you pulled the curtains aside. Sunlight entered the room and it seemed to be telling you to escape. You opened the window feeling the soft wind caress your skin, tempting you to just jump out.

Once more, you released a sigh. You couldn't even stand what with the thick bandages on your legs so it was useless to think of a way out. It was simply impossible. You moved closer to the windowsill, carefully to avoid causing yourself pain. Your hands clenched tightly against the frame.

"What's keeping my beloved sister down?" you turned suddenly when you heard his voice.

Funny, you hadn't sensed him coming let alone approaching. He was already sitting on the bed when you saw him.

"Onii-chan!" you greeted, smiling brightly at him. "What took you so long?" you then demanded from him.

"Ah...the Hokage had asked a lot of questions." He plainly explained.

Your features projected a sad face, which got Takeshi concerned all of a sudden.

"What's with that face?" your older brother asked; even though he could be a nuisance at times, he could also be the caring sibling.

"I hate hospitals." You mumbled under your breath,

"I'll make it up to you, Aiko, but you can't leave the hospital today. Maybe tomorrow." Takeshi told you and you pouted at him.

"But I'm feeling fine now!" you retorted, emphasizing the last word. Takeshi affectionately ruffled your hair and just laughed at your statement. "You seem okay, all right. I'll take you home first thing tomorrow morning." The sarcasm was evident in his voice when he spoke.

"But Onii-chan!" you didn't want to spend another minute in this dull place.

"If you'd be a good girl, I'll arrange for _Sachi-kun_ to pay you a visit." Takeshi declared, hoping you'd agree.

"If I leave now, I can be the one to visit _Sachi-kun_!" you countered.

"_Sachi-kun_ wouldn't want you to push yourself after an injury." Takeshi argued logically.

"The doctor came in to check up on me just after lunch and said I was recovering quickly. She also said that I can get out once you were back." You stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh really now?" Takeshi questioned in obvious disbelief.

"It's true, Onii-chan!" Ask her yourself!" your eyes dared him to go and talk to your doctor, Etsuko Kaori, which you knew was a good friend of his.

As if on cue, the dark-haired woman entered the room. She was wearing the medical-nin's uniform and her forehead protector was tied securely on her left upper arm. She greeted both you and your brother with a warm smile as she made her way toward your bed.

"How are you feeling, Aiko-chan?" Kaori questioned, looking from you to the chart in her hands.

"Perfectly fine, Kaori-san. Though my legs are getting numb from lying here all day, everything's just peachy." You answered her politely, ignoring Takeshi's I'm-not-done-with-you-yet look.

"Wonderful. I guess you're all good to go." Kaori had responded, scanning your check-up results from yesterday to this morning carefully.

"Are you sure it's okay to let her out today? Won't there be any risk of infections or something?" Takeshi inquired to your annoyance.

"She doesn't have to remove the bandages; those will keep infectious particles out of her wounds." Kaori stated to your relief this time.

"Won't _reckless_ movements cause them to reopen?" Takeshi further asked trying to convince Kaori to let you stay at least one more night.

"Onii-chan...I said I felt okay." You purposely reminded him of your presence.

"To be honest, that is a possibility. But it won't do her any good even if she stayed here for another night." Kaori finalized despite the disapproving look on Takeshi's face. "I'll have your nurse change your bandages for you first. Those are quite heavy, aren't they?" she added as she closed the door behind her.

Takeshi sighed and refused to look at you, knowing he'd lost. He had a good reason to be anxious but he was just too over-protective. He wasn't prepared to have you die however that was only the least of his worries.

"Aren't you going to say _'I told you so'_?" Takeshi mumbled as he finally turned to you.

"I would but...I understand why you're worried for me." You answered him, smiling.

You pushed open the double doors leading out the hospital and breathed in the fresh mid-afternoon air. The nurse wrapped your wounds in a thin layer of bandage so you were able to move around freely. The soreness of the wounds barely bothered you and the numbness of your thighs was gradually subsiding.

The sunlight tickled your skin as the slight breeze played with your long hair. It was nice just to admire your surroundings; it's been a long time since you went out just to take in the beautiful scenery. You inhaled another deep breath and sighed confidently.

"Save some air for the rest of us, Aiko." Takeshi teased.

You simply grinned at his attempt at a joke and asked him, "So, where do we go now?"

"Home. Where else?" Takeshi plainly answered as both of you walked side by side to the residential district of the village.

"I was hoping we'd go and see _Sachi-kun_." You admitted, hopefully he would change his mind.

"I'm guessing _Sachi-kun_ might still be in the ninja academy. Today was their graduation exam, you know." Takeshi explained to you.

"That means he's a genin now..." you replied, imagining how _strong_ he could be now.

"In a few minutes, you and Takeshi arrived at his humble apartment unit. Now it was yours (again) too. You see, this was where you lived even before you were kidnapped. Aya Uchiha, the woman who took Takeshi and you in after the Ichiro clan's wipe out, had raised you here as your second mother.

It wasn't that big but it comprised of a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room. There were also two bedrooms at the right wing of the apartment and a bathroom at the end of the hall. When you were young, you shared the master's room with Aya while Takeshi stayed in the guest room. But there were only two of you now. Naturally, being the older sibling, Takeshi got your old room and you would take his smaller one.

You sat on your bed and noticed several shopping bags filled with an assortment of clothes litter the blankets. You were about to ask but Takeshi beat you to it.

"I took the liberty of getting you clothes while I was out this afternoon." Takeshi was standing by the threshold with his arms crossed and a goofy smile plastered on his face.

"You went shopping? For girls' clothes?!" you queried, immediately checking the bags to see what the books looked like.

There were different colored shirts and blouses as well as fashionable skirts pants and shorts. They all appeared okay and comfortable to wear.

"Arigato, Onii-chan. Demo...how?" you stuttered, completely dumbfounded.

"I wasn't the one who did the shopping, if that's what you thought. " Takeshi admitted, laughing at the stupid look on your face. "I asked an old teammate for some assistance. Hanako-chan was happy to shop for you." He continued.

You were always so gullible. You'd believe any hare-brained story Takeshi told you. He once said that Itachi got pregnant. You believed him and the whole incident was an utterly educating experience, which ended with a rather long game of tag between your brother and Itachi. You'd think you'd learned your lesson after that but no. And let's just leave it at that.

"Aren't you ready yet?" Takeshi questioned as he stood just outside your room, waiting for you to get dressed.

"Almost." You managed to reply as you put on a slim-fitting white shirt.

You pressed your dark blue capris with your hands, removing the non-existent creases and looked at your refection in the mirror.

'Perfect.' You thought, smiling.

"AIKO!!!" Takeshi was truly impatient now.

"I'm coming!" you called back as loudly as his voice.

"And what does the Hokage want with me?" you inquired as you both walked toward the Third's office.

"He said he wanted to see you but..." Takeshi explained albeit too calmly. "I think he actually wants to see how strong you are."

"Really? So then should I be nervous?" you asked him quite innocently.

"Why are you asking me? It's not like I know what kind of life-threatening test he's going to put you through..." he stated, somewhat indifferently.

"Now I'm nervous..." you confessed, trying to prepare yourself for the _test_ Takeshi had mentioned.

"So I see Iris' powers are not an exaggeration." The Hokage said just as you entered his office.

The both of you bowed as to pay him respect. Then, Takeshi introduced you. "This is Aiko, Hokage-sama, my sister."

He simply nodded his head. He then spoke up, "You must teach her to mask her chakra though, Takeshi."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." My brother answered politely.

"I don't need to see you do a Bunshin no Jutsu. I know for a fact that you're more than qualified to be a genin." The Hokage told you, smiling kindly as he handed me a hitai-ate.

"H-hai. Arigato." You replied as you accepted the forehead protector.

"Demo...I thought the genins have already been put into teams?" Takeshi asked.

"Iruka will know where to place her. Don't worry." The 3rd Hokage answered confidently.

"That was easy..." you stated once you left the Hokage's office.

"But Hokage-sama is right. I could sense you from miles away. You should mask your chakra." Takeshi told you, his anxiety obvious.

"Demo...how?" you inquired, clueless. You were not taught to hide your presence because you had used it to intimidate your opponent.

"We'll work on that tonight. We still need to see Umino-san." Your brother retorted as you both walked to the academy.

"It's nice to finally see you, Aiko. I'm Umino Iruka." A man in his early twenties introduced himself to you.

You nodded in acknowledgement as Takeshi went on with the task he was assigned with. He had to ask Iruka on what team you should be put on.

"Only Kakashi Hatake's Team is left here at the academy. I guess she would fair them with them." Iruka stated; he too sensed your powerful chakra.

"He still hasn't passed anyone?" Takeshi asked rhetorically.

"Team 7 might have a better chance. Aside from Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto's also there. Haruno Sakura's quite a capable kunochi and Aiko...a perfect team, don't you think?" Iruka said matter-of-factly.

Since the mention of Sasuke's name, you hadn't been paying much attention to anything so it came as a shock to you when Takeshi pulled on your arm.

"Let's go." He said, leading you to where team 7 was; you simply allowed yourself to be dragged.

(Sasuke's POV)

All the other genin teams were gone with their new teachers but you and your teammates have been waiting for hours already. Still, your instructor hadn't arrived. Naruto was very bored it seemed. He even set up a trap on top of the door. Carefully, he positioned the chalkboard eraser between the doorframe and the door itself. As if a highly skilled jounin would fall for his childish prank.

After a few more excruciating minutes had passed, you began hearing 3 (three) pairs of footsteps in the corridor. Hopefully, one of them was your new sensei. Naruto had heard them coming too so he was anxiously waiting to see if his trick would work.

The noise was getting louder and then suddenly stopped. They were going to open the booby-trapped door. The next scene happened so quickly that you had to think back on it to understand what had occurred.

The door was slid open and the eraser came down upon the girl who was about to cross the threshold. At first, you thought Naruto's plan had worked. Chalk dust exploded from the eraser so all 3 (three) of you (you, Naruto and Sakura) thought it made impact. Well, it did. Apparently, the girl had kicked it away from herself and instead hit the silver-haired man who had transported to the room from out of the blue.

The room was bustling with excitement now and the hours of silence seemed like a thing of the past. You recognized 2 (two) of the 4 (four) people who had arrived. There was Umino Iruka, the chunin instructor from your time at the Ninja Academy; the other was an old friend (and teacher) of yours, Ichiro Takeshi. You wondered why he was back at Konoha; had he given up the search for Aiko? You hoped not. You also wondered when he'd gotten back. It had been too long since your last encounter with him.

"GOMEN!" the voice, you realized for the first time, belonged to the girl with long jet-black hair. She was apologizing profusely to the masked man in front of her.

You stared closely at the girl. Her voice sounded very familiar. So gentle and calm, you would've thought you were dreaming.

Dream?

Your brain struggled to search for the memory. A wide-open field came to mind from out of nowhere. At the center stood a tall Cherry Blossom Tree. Before it stood a girl. This girl had black hair down to her waist and deep crimson eyes. Those same red orbs that you were looking into just at that moment.

You couldn't be wrong. It was her, definitely! You were sure. She looked just as she did in your dream. The only difference was that this was reality not just a dream he'd imagined because you missed her and wanted to see her again.

"SACHI-KUN!!!" her overjoyed shout grabbed everyone's attention.

"So it's you..."


End file.
